Thursday 4/2/20- Wireless Iternet and the New Emergency

          With communities and society now virtually a remote society, the word "emergency" has taken on a new meaning. My wife teaches Gan (kindergarten). She teaches two zoom session. She has zoom meetings with her fellow Pre-Schook staff. She has zoom meetings with the entire faculty. Our children have all their High School and University classes through zoom. They connect with their friends through WhatsApp or Zoom. They meet with teachers administrators or student council through Zoom.  We see our daughter in Boston,  and grandparents in San Francisco and Rochester via internet-based platforms such as WhatsApp and Zoom. So if the wireless internet becomes spotty, if the service is not even throughout the house, or if our wireless printer which is connected in the basement cannot pick up the modem's signal then we are unable to print. First of all, I have become the designated IT person and yet I know nothing about IT. Second of all, what had been inconveniences before "Sheltering in Place",  are now emergencies. When the internet goes down, when the internet becomes spotty or slow, when anything hampers our connectivity to the outside world, we experience an emergency. I was on the phone with our wireless provider for hours dealing with internet issues. Yet the internet provider explained that the company could only send a technician to our home if there was an emergency. I just about lost it. In the context of this new normal, where connectivity is everything; it was an emergency.

          When we begin our day, or take a break from our day and daven (pray), we understand that we are taking time to focus upon our connectivity to God, to our spiritual aspect. Our connection is motivated by a several factors. First, we have a desire to thank. Second, we have a desire to praise. Third, we have request that we need to make because we are anxious, fearful, or concerned about any number of things. Sometimes we just need to connect, to just check-in. Whether it is in person, or whether it is virtual, or whether it is spiritual, through prayer, meditation or contemplation, making sure that our connections are strong and efficient are important for our physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual well being. After more than 2 hours of dealing with internet issues, our signal is strong and constant throughout our home. Emergency connection issues have been solved for now.

Peace, 
Rav Yitz 


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